Oviedo

My plane from Dubai left half an hour late, so it was touch and go whether I would catch my connection in Madrid for Oviedo.  I had to race through the airport like a mad thing!  I caught it by the skin of my teeth.

I watched Mr Turner en route.  It was full of atmosphere but hard to follow the plot because the sound through headphones was so poor. Must watch it again properly. 

The route into Asturias Airport went along the coast near Gijon, before turning inland again. On arrival at Oviedo I found that the next bus into town was at 6 pm in 45 minutes time. But the trip was worth the wait - a real scenic drive through mountainous country. I was torn between looking out the window or playing with the free wi fi, which is a feature of all ALSA buses in Spain. 

In Oviedo, I had to find my way to Hotel Vetusta, where I was booked for two nights. I was pretty tired by this time, but after a bowl of soup and a red wine, I just had to make a quick walk as far as the cathedral and was rewarded by seeing the west facade bathed in the light of the setting sun.

Hotel Vetusta

I'm off then!

This is a famous phrase in Camino circles. I'm currently sitting in Dubai Airport waiting for my flight to Madrid. Not much sleep was had last night. The Emirates flight was packed as usual, so no chance to stretch out.

Hope we get away on time as I have a very tight connection in Madrid to catch the Oviedo plane.

Planning for 2015

Accommodation list 2015


Depart Perth on Sunday, 19 April.  Arrive Madrid and fly Iberia to Oviedo on the afternoon of Monday 20 April.

M 20. Oviedo Vetusta bkd

T 21. Oviedo. Vetusta bkd  (visiting Naranco churches)

By bus to Leon and Ponferrada

W 22. Hacienda El Val, near Ponferrada

Th 23. Hacienda El Val, near Ponferrada (visiting Las Medulas)

F 24. Villafranca Las Donas del Portazgo bkd

S 25 Ruitelan (21k)

S 26. O'Cebreiro (9k) Venta Celta bkd

M 27. Triacastela (21.3k)

T 28. Samos (10k) Hotel A Veiga bkd

W 29. San Mamede (13k) Paloma y Lena bkd by email (Confirm the day before).

Th 30 Barbadelo (10.7) Casa Barbadelo bkd

F 1 Portomarin (18k) Portomino bkd

S 2. Lestedo (20k) Rectoral de Lestedo bkd

S 3. Melide (20.4) Hotel Carlos bkd

M.4 Ribadiso (12.7) Los Caminantes bkd

T. 5 Salceda (14.2) Albergue Turistico bkd

W 6 Villamaior (19k) Casa de Amancio bkd

Th 7. Santiago (9k) Hotel Virxe da Cerca bkd

F 8. Santiago Hotel Virxe da Cerca bkd


ALSA bus to Oporto dep at 12.00 and arrives Oporto at 15.15 (4 hrs 15 mins with time change).


S 9. Porto Lounge Hostel and Guesthouse bkd

S 10 Porto Lounge Hostel and Guesthouse bkd

Walking on Camino Portuguese

Madrid, 23 May

I had an early morning swim in the pool on the 13^th floor, in my knickers and a T-shirt. The other occupants of the pool were 2 Russian guys in their underpants. I didn’t join them in the sauna!

A sumptuous €22 breakfast followed: the buffet had everything you could possibly desire, including lovely pink grapefruit slices nicely prepared and a bottle of champagne hidden in an icebucket with bottles of water, just right for making Bucks Fizz. I also had bacon and eggs, with a churro and choc to follow!

After all this, I took a taxi to the Museo Reina Sofia to see Picasso’s Guernica (unable to face the complications of the Metro, not to mention the steps, with my gammy foot). The traffic going into the town centre was again horrendous, but I was thrilled to see Guernica!

Notes on Guernica made in the museum:

It was painted by Picasso at the request of the Republican Government for the Spanish Pavilion at the 1937 Paris International Exhibition. It was a condemnation of the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica by the Luftwaffe,who were allied to the rebels, on April 26, 1937. It remains a universal symbol of the fight against aggression.

Some foreign press who were in Bilbao were immediately moved to Guernica to gather images and testimonies, which reached the international press next day and affected the entire world. News of the attack on a non-military enclave with a population of mainly women and children spread throughout Europe.

The same day, Picasso made first sketchesfor a great mural (3.50 m. x 7.87 m.). The choice of black and white diminished any anecdotic or hedonistic intention. Picasso portrayed the terrible consequences of war in the light of an electric light bulb. The stillness of the composition, a frozen image. In the form of women, the bull and the horse, we see the most extreme impression of pain in the history of art. It is expressed through open mouths, tongues like fists, eyes transformed into needles, ships or fountains which overflowwith tears. (Taken from information leaflet at the museum).

Postscript: since returning home, I have read the novel "Guernica" by Dave Boling.  This is a moving account of the destruction of Guernica, seen through the eyes of two Basque families.  It reminds us of the horrors of war in the same way as Picasso's painting does.

Villafranca to Madrid, 22 May

The bus from Villafranca was supposed to take half an hour and connect with the 10.40 “superbus” to Madrid, for which I had paid a higher fare.  The best laid plans…  My bus was about 2 minutes late and the Madrid bus must have been 2 minutes early!

I don’t know which was worse – sitting in the Ponferrada bus staion for 3.5 hours, or sitting on the slow bus to Madrid for 5 hours!  Fortunately, I had a leftover “picnic” of pulpo, which the waitress had kindly parceled up for me in a shrink wrap the previous night.  I could have done with more to drink though, and the driver seemed reluctant to let people off at stops.

The road to Madrid was exceedingly boring across long flat plains.  A DVD of “The Butler” was showing, but no-one seemed to have any headphones.  It seemed like an interesting film to while away the afternoon, especially as it was in English with Spanish subtitles.

On arrival at the Bus Station “Sur”,  I knew it would be an expensive taxi ride through busy traffic to reach the Hotel Puerto America, 4 kms north of the centre.  It was!  (€15)

The hotel was certainly different!  I was given an iPad and asked to select a floor.  Each floor had been designed by a different architect.  I was a bit too tired to think properly, and couldn’t really be bothered to look through information about 10 floors, so I chose No. 6, with designs by an Aussie architect, Mark Newson.  The corridor to my room was bright red plastic.  The room itself was in dark grey leather and dark grey plastic, with the bathroom done entirely in white Carrera marble with light grey markings.  Stunning!

I had a G & T from the minibar, and then later went for dinner in the posh restaurant,  I was first in there at 9.15 p.m.  Menu:  light cream soup with scallops and courgettes, followed by stewed oxtail in red wine;  then a gluttonous dessert: a cross between a bread and butter pudding and a crème brulee (€50).  There were at least 7 waiters hovering around and only one other couple, till a group arrived well after 10 p.m.

Luxurious hotel room

Accommodation List for Camino 2014

28 April  Burgos,  Hotel Abba                      €70

29 April  Burgos,  Meson del Cid                 €65

30 April  Hornillos,  La Consulta de Isar     €40  (€58 w. dinner & breakfast)

1 May  Hontanas, Albergue El Puntido       €5

2 May  Castrojeriz,  Camino de Santiago Camping   €33

3 May  Boadilla del Camino, En el Camino €33  (plus €10 dinner)

4 May  Vilacazar de Sirga, Las Cantigas      €30

5 May  Carrion de los Condes, Sta Clara Convent €22 (plus €21.25 dinner)

6 May  Sahagun, Hotel Puerta                     €25

7 May  El Burgo Ranero, Albergue La Laguna       €30 (plus €15 dinner)

8 May  Mansilla, La Puente                          €35  (plus €10 dinner)

9 May Leon,  La Posada Regia                      €65

10 May  Leon,  La Posada Regia                  €79  Sat rate)

11 May  Villar de Mazariffe, Albergue Tio Pepe    €25 (plus €10 dinner)

12 May  Hospital,  Paso Honroso                 €35

13 May  Astorga,  Hotel Gaudi                     €45 (lunch at Las Termas €20)

14 May  Sta Catalina,  El Caminante                       €25 (plus €9.50 dinner)

15 May  Rabanal del Camino, Posada Gaspar        €41

16 May  Acebo,  La Posada del Peregrino  €41 (incl. dinner and breakfast)

17 May  Molinaseca,  Casa del Reloj                        €30

18 May  Ponferrada,  Hotel El Castillo        €44

19 May  Cacabelos,  Hostal Sta Maria         €30

20 May  Villafranca del Bierzo, Parador     €259 for 2 nights, B & B and dinner

21 May  Villafranca del Bierzo, Parador

22 May  Madrid, Puerta de America           €311 for 2 nights

23 May  Madrid, Puerta de America           w. 1 dinner & breakfast

24 May  Avila,  Hotel las Leyendas              €59

25 May  Madrid, Puerta de America           €330.75 for 2 nights

26 May  Madrid,  Puerta de America

27 May  Illetas, Mallorca, Hotel Bonsol

Cathedral, Palma de Mallorca

Cathedral, Palma de Mallorca